Background: While offering advocacy for some, inspiring Instagram memes, motivational hashtags, and self love mantras can also lead to "positivity bypass" in the culture of recovery. This presentation will explore Carl Jung's concept of the "shadow" and present recommendations for a grounded, integrated treatment for the eating disordered psyche.
Objectives: 1.) Participants will be able to understand and identify the ways positivity bypass and spiritual bypass can interfere in effective treatment and lasting eating disorder recovery. 2.) Participants will be able to understand and apply Brene Brown's research on Shame and vulnerability to clinical practice to avoid positivity bypass and cultivate emotional resilience. 3.) Participants will be able to utilize specific techniques from Internal Family Systems theory, Somatic Experiencing, DBT, and Depth psychotherapy to support shadow integration in eating disorder treatment.
•1a. Discuss the current trends in social media, Oprah and New age thought, and public advocacy campaigns around body positive movements and eating disorder recovery.
•1b.Show examples of popular memes, Instagram accounts, and youtube videos related to eating disorder awareness and advocacy.
•1c. Trace history of “pop” positive psychology, trends in self help and the self esteem movement. Discuss benefits and importance of this current trend as reaction to pathologizing medical mode and “elitist” analytic thought.
2.) Discuss pitfalls of positivity movement in bypassing or stigmatizing difficult and painful aspects of self and emotions.
- 2a. Cite and discuss Barbara Ehrenreich's research from 2010 book "Bright-sided: How Positive thinking is undermining America”.
- 2b. Cite and Discuss definition of Spiritual Bypass: Cite Dr. John Welwood Ph.D “Spiritual Bypassing” (1984). Cite and Discuss Dr. Ingrid Mathieu Ph.D research “Recovering Spirituality" (2011).
- 2c. Identify examples of spiritual bypass in treatment programming and case examples.
3.) Introduce concept of Shadow and Modern Psychotherapeutic Theories to integrate shadow work into Eating Disorder Treatment.
3a. Cite Jung's description of the shadow.
3b. Discuss Brene Brown's on vulnerability and shame resilience- link to Jungian Shadow concepts. (2013) + (2016).
3c. Discuss concept of the “exiled part” from Richard Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems Theory. (2014).
4c. Discuss SE techniques re Shadow.
4.) Expand on Jungian concept of Shadow and it’s application to eating disorder treatment.
- 4a. Explore Marion Woodman’s work in treating eating disorders with Jungian analysis from book “Addiction to perfection.” (1982).
- 4b. Share case study from my own practice treating chronic relapse patient who had internalized much of the positivity paradigm from multiple treatment centers. Discuss role Shadow work played in addressing function of eating disorder and creating safe container for deeper honesty and healing.
- 4c. Introduce clinical intervention of Body Neutral Approach™ to combat body image while honoring shadow. Cite third wave behavioral approaches DBT and ACT to “be with” difficult feelings vs. fighting/conquering them.
- 5.) Experiential- Getting to know your shadow as therapist.
• Guided meditations and journaling exercises to help practitioners identify their own shadow work.
Meredith Redding, LMFT, CEDS maintains a busy private practice in Los Angeles and serves as the eating disorder specialist and consultant at The Camden Center, IOP. She is the former Vice President of iaedp Los Angeles, and on the faculty of the Los Angeles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies Eating Disorder Extension Division. She specializes in the treatment of eating disorders, complex trauma, adolescents, and creative artists. She is a graduate of Pacifica Graduate Institute, and received her undergraduate degree from UCLA. She is a certified yoga instructor and advocates an integrated model that considers body, mind, and the collective.
